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Kerny Kerman's Journal (mission reports from a Kerbal's point of view) [Chapter 87: "Among the growing shadows."]

adsii1970

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adsii1970

adsii1970

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Ok, ok... time out... I pick folks at random when I need extra characters... and if I do select a forum member to include in the story, I'll message you and get the name of a pet or other significant name to use. :D

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Just Jim

Just Jim

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22 hours ago, adsii1970 said:

Ok, ok... time out... I pick folks at random when I need extra characters... and if I do select a forum member to include in the story, I'll message you and get the name of a pet or other significant name to use. :D

Let me follow up on this, if I may... a little off-topic, but not.

What normally happens with @adsii1970 and myself is we don't pick one or another forum member and decide to make them a character. Quite the opposite. It's the stories themselves that decide if and when we bring someone in.

For example, in Emiko Station I just brought in @Badie as a major supporting character. But I didn't do it because I like her more than any other particular forum member, or I'm trying to suck up to @SQUAD or anything like that.

What happened is my story dictated I bring in a... well... a special kind of character (spoilers). Preferably female to keep the story-line consistent. Besides her main role, I also wanted this character to be a musician of some sort, to explain how my main character, Emiko, learned how to play a "kiano". And she needs to stand out in a crowd... for story purposes.

So I started rolling the idea around in my head... memorable female musician...probably should have a stage name... and just like that the name @Badie popped into my head... and because she is such a great forum member, I thought it was a perfect fit!  

And I pm'd her about 2 minutes later with the idea.... and the invitation to become a character. And I was quite thrilled when she said yes!!! :)

Anyway, my point is, it happened just that fast... and this is how it almost always happens. I know @adsii1970 is the same. We don't plan these things ahead. Fact is, the decision to make someone into a character is usually quite spontaneous.

 

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adsii1970

adsii1970

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Thanks, @Just Jim. That's a pretty good run-down of what I try to do. As he said, I don't create a character just to slam someone's name on it. If I have a Kerman already on the roster that will suit my needs, then I go with the stock name. If I am having to tinker with a Kerman, I will give them a special name - and that's when I have my fun.

  • J. Jim was needed as an antagonist to get under Gene's skin and for a enigma for Kerny to try to figure out... (what exactly is going on between him and Gilti?).
  • Angelo was added because I will need a Kerman to challenge the "safe and slow wins the race" argument currently held by Dr. Wernher, Thompberry, and others. Eventually we will see a separate company that begins to pump out new craft and new ideas of space travel. It will be a lesson in capitalism and cut-throat competition to it's best...and worst features.

The various other Kermen, based off of either real of science-fiction characters, are needed to help tie it into the world I am trying to create. Think of Kerbin as being a world that loves science, superstition, and tradition - and you get a very powerful reaction to anything new or unexplainable. :D And the stuff about Valentine isn't over yet - in the least!

I've even given a hat-tip to Harvester Kerman - there's a science research and craft recovery vessel named in his honor. I've not used it since .90, but the ship is still in my roster. Might be time to bring it back. But as of yet, I've not used any other moderator or @SQUAD member in my story. Nor am I bound not to or to do so. As @Just Jim has said, the opportunity has to be the right one and all the pieces have to be there. So far, in my story line, they are not...

Now if you want to contribute to the story and are good at mod-making using Kopernicus, I'm in need of a blue dwarf star that can be seen during the night-time sky (and maybe during the day-time sky, too). Here are the list of requirements for this star...

  • It must be compatible with Outer Planet Mod (OPM).
  • Light emitted must be blue-white and be intense enough to be seen in the Kerbin night-sky.
  • It must be a dwarf. Smaller than Kerbol yet no smaller than Kerbin. (Reference: https://www.reference.com/science/white-dwarf-form-5386a75a47c83762)
  • No gas planets and no small rocky planets.
    • Blue white stars are formed, as so we believe, when either a red giant explodes and re-condenses or out of a nebula.
    • In the case of the story I am doing, it has been formed after the collapse of a red super giant.
    • Small asteroids are fine, but they cannot be any larger than the medium sized ones found in the game.
      • Remember, the explosive force of a star blowing and then condensing would destroy any gas planets and rocky worlds.
      • With the rocky worlds, I imagine only fragments of the rocky worlds would remain.
      • No more than three asteroids.
  • Within reason, you'll have naming rights to the star you create.
    • No vulgar names. Must be rated "PG" friendly.
    • You can name any asteroids you have orbiting the star.

I've tried piddling with Kopernicus but because of the schedule I keep, I do not have the time needed to devote to becoming an expert at making planet packs and figuring out how to add another star. But if you want to give it a shot, this would help me tremendously.

 

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Thedrelle

Thedrelle

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1 hour ago, Just Jim said:

Let me follow up on this, if I may... a little off-topic, but not.

What normally happens with @adsii1970 and myself is we don't pick one or another forum member and decide to make them a character. Quite the opposite. It's the stories themselves that decide if and when we bring someone in.

For example, in Emiko Station I just brought in @Badie as a major supporting character. But I didn't do it because I like her more than any other particular forum member, or I'm trying to suck up to @SQUAD or anything like that.

What happened is my story dictated I bring in a... well... a special kind of character (spoilers). Preferably female to keep the story-line consistent. Besides her main role, I also wanted this character to be a musician of some sort, to explain how my main character, Emiko, learned how to play a "kiano". And she needs to stand out in a crowd... for story purposes.

So I started rolling the idea around in my head... memorable female musician...probably should have a stage name... and just like that the name @Badie popped into my head... and because she is such a great forum member, I thought it was a perfect fit!  

And I pm'd her about 2 minutes later with the idea.... and the invitation to become a character. And I was quite thrilled when she said yes!!! :)

Anyway, my point is, it happened just that fast... and this is how it almost always happens. I know @adsii1970 is the same. We don't plan these things ahead. Fact is, the decision to make someone into a character is usually quite spontaneous.

 

We are sorry, none of us want you to feel pressured about including us in your stories. We all just love what you guys do a great deal, and the idea of being part of it appeals to us.

keep doing what your doing, all of you, we love it. 

 

now, back on theme. 

 

A blue dwarf, eh? sounds ominous!

 

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adsii1970

adsii1970

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2 minutes ago, Thedrelle said:

We are sorry, none of us want you to feel pressured about including us in your stories. We all just love what you guys do a great deal, and the idea of being part of it appeals to us.

keep doing what your doing, all of you, we love it.

now, back on theme. 

A blue dwarf, eh? sounds ominous!

 

No problem and no foul. It has been a stressful week. I had a molar shatter on Sunday and cannot get into the dentist until tomorrow morning. And when I am in pain, I get to be a bit... Um, let's say I get very short and gruff. And on top of that, it was finals with grades due today at noontime (finally done). I have one student issue that the student will not go away and is already yelling about the grade...

The idea for the blue dwarf hit me last night while watching an old episode of NOVA... and so far, I'm really getting to like the idea... :D

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adsii1970

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It was one from the late 1970s that truly terrified me as a child. I was flipping through the television channels when I came across it. It was talking about the life cycles of stars and used our sun for an example. What scared the hell out of me in the 1970s was when the sun goes to a red giant - it's heat and light production slows down and the star expands. The graphics are cheesy compared to today's standards, but in their simulation, the sun expands to an area between Earth and Mars... meaning the Earth is destroyed by the Sun! Now be 10 years old and watch that... forget the "millions of years" stuff Carl Sagan said...

Then the show discussed the two paths the sun could take at that point - go supernova, and as @Just Jim says, "it went poof!" into a nebula, or it explodes and recompresses and forms a blue-white dwarf...

 

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Just Jim

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23 hours ago, Thedrelle said:

We are sorry, none of us want you to feel pressured about including us in your stories. We all just love what you guys do a great deal, and the idea of being part of it appeals to us.

Don't be sorry.... please!

I know I also speak for @adsii1970 when I say we're really super flattered and honored and loving that y'all like us enough to want to be included! It really does mean a lot.

I was just trying to explain why it's not that easy to do, and still keep the stories consistent. (otherwise I'd have brought everyone in a long time ago... :D)

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adsii1970

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Plock 27, Y003 
"Making sense of what isn't understandable" 
Chapter 46

It seems I've managed to get on Gene's wrath list - and to be completely honest, I really am not concerned. After our return to the space center on the 23rd, Commander Karloff and myself went to the series of briefings to report on the failure of our last mission. It was an unusual day because instead of starting with the debriefing usually given by Gene, we began with Angelo, or should I say Dr. Angelo and Dr. Wernher. There was a lot of tension in the debriefing between the two Kermen as they argued among themselves about what the data was telling them. It began with Dr. Angelo telling Dr. Wernher he knew the plan was unstable before they even began building the superstructure. 

"You've only recently graduated from the university three days ago!" Dr. Wernher screamed, clearly agitated with Dr. Angelo's comments. "Why didn't you speak up when you had the chance--"

"I did, but you had to be right, just like always!" Dr. Angelo fired back. "You never listen to my--"

By this point, Thompberry entered the briefing room. After pausing long enough to listen to the unfolding argument, he couldn't hold back any longer. "I don't care whose fault it is. All I want to know is how do we make sure this doesn't happen again. You both are missing the point. A craft assembled in this vehicle assembly building didn't work. It left a crew of six Kerbalnauts stranded in--"

"Not exactly stranded," I interrupted. "The crew evacuation vehicle performed just as it was designed to do--"

"Well, at least that part of the design worked well," Dr. Wernher interjected.

"And as I recall," Dr. Angelo started in, "that was my part of the design." Surprisingly, Dr. Wernher actually nodded in agreement. 

The remainder of the debriefing went relatively easy. With Major Thompberry acting as the mediator between the two engineers, we were able to discover what was wrong with the Excursion. The ship's tri-symmetry design, with only two underpowered engines and an imbalanced mass caused the craft's instability. 

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After nearly an hour and a half, Dr. Angelo, Dr. Wernher, and Major Thompberry discussed refitting the current vehicle, named the Excursion II. All three believed that with a few modifications and some redesigning of the superstructure, it would be more stable than the first Excursion. What surprised me next was Thompberry's comments. "Doctors, Gene wants the Minimus IV-B mission to launch in four days. Can you do it?" 

"You can't be serio--" Dr. Wernher began.

"Yes, I've already divided my crew in half," Dr. Angelo began. "One is redesigning the ship and the other is already working on removing the parts I identified as problematic..." And with that, Thompberry told us Gene was ready to see me. Apparently Gene only wanted to see me because Thompberry said Gene had given Karloff the rest of the day off. 

The meeting with Gene wasn't exactly what I've grown accustomed to having. Within minutes of my arrival to the tracking center, Kuzzter told me that Gene and Dr. Haywood were waiting for me in the upstairs conference room. 

"Captain, it's nice to see you again," Dr. Haywood began. "How did the debriefing with Dr. Wernher and Dr. Angelo go?"

"I'm glad that Major Thompberry took it over, sir," I responded. "I've never noticed that much tension between those two before--"

"It's because Angelo is now a doctor, too." Gene interrupted. "Now Dr. Wernher feels Angelo is questioning everything he does--" 

"Well, I think a little competition is good." Dr. Haywood began. "For so long, Dr. Wernher has wanted to play it safe when it comes to craft design. He sticks with what works. But Angelo, now he's interested in not only in new innovation and experimentation, but in gaining more efficiency." And with his comments, we began discussing the performance of my crew, the craft, and my observations on how to improve crew efficiency and craft design. And it was at that point where the real fun began.

"Captain, how would you evaluate Cadet Triy's duty performance?" Dr. Haywood asked. 

"While I realize she hasn't completed her formal training, I would say she's--"

"Yeah, I can tell you she's going to find herself transferred from the Kerbalnaut program to the Ground Expeditionary Forces!" Gene interjected. "What she did was... reckless... younglingish, and--"

"No, Gene, you're not!" I couldn't believe I was hearing myself yelling back at Gene. "You said if I wanted her as a part of my crew then I could keep her--"

"Yes, but that was for the one mission only! I thought I made it clear--" I never realized how many blood tubes are visible on Gene's forehead when he's mad. The arachnia-thread looking pattern visible as a dark green network on his light green complexion. 

"No, Director, you never said that." Now I was interrupting Gene! "You simply told me that if I wanted her as a member of my crew then I could keep her. It is my intention--"

"I am the one in charge of this space program--" Gene fired back.

"Yes, Gene," Dr. Haywood added. "You're in charge of the space program BUT Captain Kerny is in charge of his crew--"

"This is Kerbite excrement--" Wow, Gene's face turned even more green. The large blood tube could now be seen pulsating across his forehead. I wonder how many times Jebediah saw this side of Gene.

"Gene... it's time to calm down," Dr. Haywood began. "In our last Committee on Aeronautics and Spaceflight meeting, Dr. Edmund suggested that beginning in Y005, Kerbalnauts would be required to perform a space mission from Kerbin to Minimus on a training vessel. Gene, this could be an opportunity to see if--"

"It's still Kerbite excrement! There are requirements and she didn't complete them. She--"

"Captain," Dr. Haywood began, cutting off Gene with a raised hand. "If you want to keep her as a member of her crew, it will be up to you and your executive officer to continue her formal training--"

"Fine," Gene added. "You want her that bad, then you've got her, Captain. She's yours. I never imagined you'd be this much trouble. You're almost as bad as Jeb--"

"Gene," Dr. Haywood began, clearly agitated with him. "This matter is settled. She is a part of his crew..." The remainder of the briefing was fairly quiet and it was obvious Gene was still fuming over my insistence of keeping Triy. The remainder of the debriefing was basically Dr. Haywood confirming what I already knew since the first debriefing this morning. In four days we would be back in space.

After the briefing, I decided to go over to the astronomy lab to attend the latest forum being held by Dr. Zarkov. For over three hours, I listened as he explained, in normal Kerman language, the continuing anomaly we're experiencing. Just as quickly as Valentine appeared in the Kerbin sky, the star has now receded considerably and is only visible as a red dot in the nighttime sky. He explained that Valentine had created a fold in space as its path crossed into the Kerbol system; the fold was created when the gravitational fields of the two stars began influencing one another.

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The four days went by fairly quickly. On the 26th, my crew and I reported to the tracking center to watch our new ship, the Excursion II, lift off into orbit. Within twenty minutes, the unKerbaled ship achieved an orbit of 125,000 meters and deployed the solar panels and communications arrays. We watched as Bobak and Kuzzter piloted the craft and plotted a rendezvous with the Excursion, now nothing more than a collection of parts orbiting Kerbin. Once the two vessels were a thousand meters apart  the process of remotely transferring the Minimus landers began.

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Later that afternoon we began our preparations to join our new vessel. After completing our final simulator drill, Bobak told me I had an urgent message from Dr. Edmund and was told to use the vacant office at the end of the hall. The office had belonged to Dr. Haywood, but with the construction of New Kerbin City, the Grand Committee had passed a resolution requiring all consuls having a chair position to maintain their residence and office in the new city. Sitting down behind the now empty desk, I pressed the communications panel button to connect the call. Immediately, the lighting turned to blue, indicating it was a secure call. The video screen on the wall changed from its picture of the space center to the image of Dr. Edmund, broadcast in real time.  

"Captain, this is a Section 31 meeting. I assume you have the authentication key?" Dr. Edmund asked.

"Yes, the authentication key has been entered..." I said, pressing the code into the small keypad.  The video screen changed again, now showing Commodore Valentina, Dr. Edmund, Lieutenant Colonel Ralph,, and Gene.

"I've called this emergency meeting of Section 31 to bring to your attention an important matter." Dr. Edmund began. "Prime Consul Katrine is concerned about Jebediah. Thanks to the efforts of Captain Kerny and Gene, we know he's in the old Polar Station. But the question is how do we monitor him without him noticing he is being monitored?"

"Why not just go get him, confine him to--" Gene began.

"Why not just send someone to keep an eye on him?" Commodore Valentina began. "It's the most obvious answer to--"

"That's precisely what I was thinking," Dr. Edmund began. "But here's the thing. We cannot send just anyone, we must send someone he trusts--"

"The only Kerman we have who could pull this off is Bob." Gene said flatly. "Jebediah has always felt a kinship with Bill and Bob. With Bill gone or dead, whichever it is, Bob is the only choice we have."

"But do you think he'll do it?" Dr. Edmund asked. "And if he agrees, how do we make it seem it's not actually sanctioned by--"

For the rest of the briefing we discussed and planned exactly how the mission would play out - providing Bob would do it.

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At dawn on the 27th, we boarded the CTV-2 and were taken to the pad. For the next two hours we waited for the launch window - the precise moment when our launch would allow us to achieve orbit and rendezvous with the Excursion II within an hour. The launch was perfect and Bobak's timing was extremely accurate. We were preparing to dock with our new ship within an hour and ten minutes of the launch.

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Once we docked with the Excursion II and pressure was equalized, we transferred operational control to the vessel, boarded her, then remotely detached the CTV-2 from our ship. We have another hour in orbit before we test our new vessel by achieving, or attempting to achieve a higher orbit and perform some testing of the new designs implemented by Dr. Angelo. If all goes well with those tests, we'll be on our way to Minimus by this time tomorrow. 

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Angelo Kerman

Angelo Kerman

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Looks like things are heating up between Dr. Angelo and Dr. Wernher! Nice to see that they figured out the design flaws. I hope Dr. Angelo can walk the line between speed, efficiency, and safety, because building a rocket isn't simple... :wink:

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adsii1970

adsii1970

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3 hours ago, Angel-125 said:

Looks like things are heating up between Dr. Angelo and Dr. Wernher! Nice to see that they figured out the design flaws. I hope Dr. Angelo can walk the line between speed, efficiency, and safety, because building a rocket isn't simple... :wink:

More fireworks to come!

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Orion Kerman

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I can't wait for the next one, I wonder how you will deal with Jeb, if everything goes wrong just hop over to be armoury tab just put a a few hellfires on. Just like i deal with debris. Or you could be peaceful. Or perhaps the aliens have captured him.

I hope it's peaceful I want Jeb alive also how would you arrive without Jeb suspecting that it is a trick because if it is a plane with a pilot jeb might suspect something. Can bob fly?

 

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Angelo Kerman

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2 minutes ago, Orion Kerman said:

I can't wait for the next one, I wonder how you will deal with Jeb, if everything goes wrong just hop over to be armoury tab just put a a few hellfires on. Just like i deal with debris. Or you could be peaceful. Or perhaps the aliens have captured him.

I hope it's peaceful I want Jeb alive also how would you arrive without Jeb suspecting that it is a trick because if it is a plane with a pilot jeb might suspect something. Can bob fly?

 

I think Bob is Bear Grills in his spare time, he'll just parachute in, live off the land, make a documentary about it, and just nonchalantly say "Hey Jeb" as he shows up. :)

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Orion Kerman

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Just now, Angel-125 said:

I think Bob is Bear Grills in his spare time, he'll just parachute in, live off the land, make a documentary about it, and just nonchalantly say "Hey Jeb" as he shows up. :)

I love that idea! If I did it I would launch into a suborbital trajectory and crash land right on top! How would Angelo do it?

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